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When Calistus Anyichie took the court for St. Mary (Eliz.), the first thing people noticed was 6-9 frame. Looking closer, something apparently bigger than his size stood out: his animated smile.
"He had a contagious smile", current St. Mary's Head Coach Danny Crincoli, who was assistant when Anyichie played, said. "He always had an optimistic personality, he always looked at the positives, he worked hard, he was always very, very selfless, he was going to be special because of his personality."
The 19-year-old Binghamton University student died Sunday after drowning in the gorge of Upper Buttermilk National Park in Ithaca, New York, according to a report from Syracuse.com.
According to the report, Anyichie was taken to shore by friends and strangers. Rescuers used a rope system to get him into a 15-foot bank and provided him with medical care. Anyichie was declared dead at Cayuga Medical Center.
"I have trouble talking about it", old Anthony Colletti, St. Mary's coach I said. "I discovered it last night when (Binghamton Head Coach, Tommy Dempsey) called me." It's totally devastating. Calistus was a special child for me. We have always communicated. He was also part of my family. Whenever he was at home, we would go out. He was part of my family, I can not even describe in words what it did to me. "
Anyichie was about to enter his second year at Binghamton and was a three-year college player at St. Mary's. In high school, he averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He was selected in the final year of the Union County Conference.
While her contributions on the ground speak for themselves, Anyichie was also a model in the classroom and was part of the National Honor Society.
His intelligence, leadership and altruism earned him the nickname of team ambassador.
"If you were to look at someone like a great model, it was Calistus," Crincoli said. "He was always giving in. Even though he had nothing to give, he was doing it – even if that meant just having a conversation." He saw someone who was a loner, he would talk to them and put a smile on them, he's the kind of kid he was, he wanted everyone to be happy, that was his goal wherever he went. "
As in Sainte-Marie, Anyichie had an impact on the Binghamton basketball court.
In first year, he played 32 times and took an average of 9.1 minutes. He had 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He finished third in the team with 21 blocks and had five or more rebounds seven times.
"There are no words … There is no plan to know how to deal with such a painful loss," Dempsey said. says on Twitter. "We all loved Calistus so much – he was such a special young man – we are devastated."
Anyichie leaves many wonderful memories to his coaches, teammates and peers to remember him.
For Colletti, the memory that has been most marked is that of the first year of Anyichie. In a match against Hudson Catholic in December, ranked No. 4 in the state at that time, Anyichie managed to land a hook shot that allowed St. Mary to win 32 -30. After the last few seconds, Colletti remembers Anyichie and his teammates dancing in the field. It was a moment of pure joy.
"It's a memory that will never leave, he was really happy," said Colletti. "I even have post-match cuts, he was dancing on the field, it was amazing to see."
Richard Greco covers men's basketball for NJ.com and can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com sure Facebook.
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